President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday (2) said that the country had achieved a great victory at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as the international community expressed high appreciation of the steps taken by the government since January. He pointed out that Sri Lanka succeeded in excluding the ‘electric chair’, an international investigation, and a hybrid special court from in the United States sponsored resolution.

Addressing the media at the President’s House immediately after his return from Geneva, President Sirisena this government was able to change the situation within the last nine months to inquire into alleged human rights violations and war crimes before a domestic tribunal under provisions of the country’s constitution by winning over the international community.

He said he would call an all party conference, a council consisting leaders of all religions in the country to discuss this matter and enact the mechanism to bring about lasting reconciliation in a society where democracy is vibrantly upheld.

The President said he would call a forum for intellectuals and scholars in the country and abroad to express their views for this purpose.

The President said while the inquiry is continued, the traditional, social and cultural matters would be taken into consideration and if these are matters which cause any harm, those would be taken before the UN for alterations. He said there is only a resolution against Sri Lanka which consists of proposals and not a set of orders.

He said the Sri Lankan government’s achievements were successful despite 37 groups operating at international level upheld the Eelam concept and stood against the latest resolution. He pointed out that a group led by Vaiko in India staged a protest against this latest resolution against Sri Lanka.

President Sirisena pledged that the dignity of the forces and the country would be protected by himself and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. He also appreciated the support of the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, ministers and others.

He said such resolutions have been moved not only against Sri Lanka but against some other countries as well. President Sirisena said most countries dragged those inquiries for a long period but Sri Lanka would not burden the people. He said this issue will be solved within a short period without causing any damage to any party. He added that there would only be a domestic mechanism, which would be implemented within the provisions of the Sri Lankan Constitution, without impinging on the sovereignty of the nation, unity and peace.

He added that the previous administration had deliberately squandered goodwill of the international community and the world body.

Apart from giving compensation to those affected by the war along with giving houses and lands to those who had lost them during the war, the President explained that the civil administration in the North and East would be strengthened.He said that a special local legal board would be established, adding that both members of the armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadres with allegations of human rights violations against them would be given an opportunity to present their cases.

The President added that he would soon be convening discussions with political party leaders along with a summit with religious leaders, intellectuals and expatriates with regards to sharing ideas and recommendations concerning the resolution. He emphasized that although alleged war crimes had taken place during the previous regime, it was now the sole responsibility of the incumbent government to ensure that the burden would not be handed down to those taking over the reins in the future.

Property and lives were also destroyed in Colombo and the South during the war. We will implement what is acceptable in the Darusman report and the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, Udalagama Commission and the Paranagama and Desmond De Silva Commission reports, he said.

The President said the government would follow a moderate policy with regards to the implementation of the mechanism and if there are issues that arise as per the opinion of the public and the country’s culture we will take up the matters again with the UNHRC and the Secretary General of the United Nations.

“I will not be taking arbitrary decisions but will work in consultation. I take pity on those who accused us of being stooges of the West and of conspiring with overseas intelligence agencies. Thirty-seven powerful pro Eelam organizations opposed the resolution. We must be mindful of these situations and conditions too. We have proven in the past eight months that we intend to establish democracy, good governance and promote peace and reconciliation and that we will continue to do so. We will not allow the country to be divided,” President Sirisena assured.

““Welcomes the government’s recognition that accountability is essential to uphold the rule of law and build confidence in the people of all communities of Sri Lanka in the justice system, takes note with appreciation of the Government of Sri Lanka’s proposal to establish a Judicial Mechanism with a Special Counsel to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, as applicable; and affirms that a credible justice process should include independent judicial and prosecutorial institutions led by individuals known for integrity and impartiality; and further affirms in this regard the importance of participation in a Sri Lankan judicial mechanism, including the Special Counsel’s office, of Commonwealth and other foreign judges, defence lawyers, and authorized prosecutors and investigators”.

The word “hybrid” has disappeared but the above paragraph clearly states a Sri Lankan court of Law, specially set-up for prosecuting alleged “war criminals” with foreign judges, foreign prosecutors and foreign investigators.

This means we will soon come across persons of the likes of Yasmin Sooka, Martti Ahtisaari, Silvia Cartwright, Asma Jahangir, Loise Arbour and Mary Robinson prosecuting our national heroes in an international ‘local’ court presided by white supremacist judges from South Africa.

Stop agitating the pot over and over when the stew is already cooked. What we need now is racial harmony and look forward to a bright future for mother Lanka. For how long more do you want Lanka to be treated as a “pariah” state by the rest of the civil and cultured world? The atrocities of both the tigers and the armed forces will be brought to light during the investigations and appropriate remedies found. Only the wrong doers are trying to resist such investigations and hide behind the thugs MR & Co. He hoodwinked the whole country for a whole 10 years treating mother Lanka as his private property. It took the gullible Srilankans who supported MR & co that long to realise their mistake.

@Mohamed,
Are you a Sri lankan? or a one who stays under the westerners shelters?
Or refugee who flees to Europe and worked along with terrorists to buy weapons or gain power?

Have you ever given any of your sons, relatives to fight against worlds ruthless terrorists?
Have you came across with any bombs? attacks?
Have you ever lost any of your family member or relatives cause of the 30 years long war?

Do you know what hundreds or thousands of parents, relatives, and countrymen went through on 30 years seeing each other only few times in a year with their families.

We are now having peace because those all who suffers, for those who went to the war by keeping their families away.
Don’t just bark without doing any single stuff for winning the war against world most dangerous terrorist group.

Keeping straight word is what MR did against all backstabbers, westerns did nothing to help us during the war. They sold weapons to LTTE not for us. We got weapons only from China, Russia and Pakistan who supported us.

MS did nothing but taking our pride backwards to what westerns want. This is not a victory for us. Its a victory for the west. We are becoming an idiots and puppets.

We have peace in country, all Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims lives peacefully. And that is truly happening. Don’t create anything over it.

Ganjapani, thank you for your comments. Is it an achievement to allow foreigners to judge us and give verdicts? Mr. Mohamad, why our President allowed to cook the ‘stew” ? Not only he allowed to cook the stew, he was involved in adding ‘lunu & ambul’to the stew. This is an bitter ‘kasaya’for mother Sri Lanka.

Gullible Sri Lankans like Mohamed are responsible for the issues we are currently facing in the country. As long as those gullibles keep on accusing MR without any proof, they not only proving themselves to be gullibles but damn fools too.

Those gullibles may fancy in your “fool’s paradise” but those people outside the fools paradise can see clearly who is dancing inside the “fools’ paradise”.

Those gullibles never demand for an “impartial” inquiry into the Central Bank robbery by Ranil and his co-hort, but are ready to keep accusing others without any proof. Where is FCID regarding the central bank robbery?, and why not that was referred to the FCID? If they are so keen to find what went wrong and who is responsible in the war, then why can’t they simply do the same for the central bank robbery? How easy is that compared to a war inquiry with international judges etc etc. No one would go protesting against such an inquiry in FCID? That shows that the current government is corrupt to the bone and only interested in power to grab every cent off the country, and they simply to media circus to cover them up.

Stop attacking Mohamed as he was only expressing his personal views of the current situation in Lanka. Ganjapani you ought to tone down your gutter language. You all must be ardent supporters of of the thug MR & co for getting so exited. Remember there is what is called freedom of speach in a demoratic country.